hallawayjoe

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hallawayjoe
Andyland

2002-04-14 9:44 PM
bookfest 2

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Well, I just got back from the final reading (that I am going to) of the bookfest. I will start off my review where my day began. Home. No sleep last night. I have had bad insomnia related to my back problems. I got a few hours, but am not well rested. So I stumbled over to the Alley at 11:30 am and caught the fiction reading. Alexis McMillan, Chloe Leisure, Steve Buckley and Tiffany Hutchings( all Thin Air members at one time or another) All four were excellent. Actually some of it was non fiction and prose poetry. I am proud to call them my peers. I wish I could be as detailed and glib as they are. They were funny and intense. Then it was time to head to Ardrey at 1. Saw Nick Fox and Lucy Anderton cuddling in the third row. I sat a few rows back with Shanti Weiland, Chloe and Alexis and her father. Barbara Anderson, our poetry professor gave a nice humorous introduction to Boyer Rickel, who read of his experiences in coming out of the closet in a very nice way. I am used to the overtly political way, but Boyer was more literary in his examination of identity. Actually he was critical of the sexism that is underlying even the gay community. Then Gary Nabhan gave a fine emotional reading about his experiences going back to Lebanon to visit relatives. He is fasting also until Israel backs off of Palestine. Good luck! Joy Harjo wowwed us, if that is understatement enough, and man can she play the sax. She is the ... words can't describe... go see her buy her books, cds. Transcendental. Tears welled up in me. Last but not least was the Rudolfo Anaya and Marvin Bell. Anaya read from Bless Me Ultima and was fabulous. I wish I had kept my copy, but I donated it to the Grad Association for their book sale after dropping the class I bought the book for. I had a heavy load that semester and I couldn't handle a book a week plus Chaucer. So Marvin was last and he was a blast! Not one boring moment in his reading, whether he was being funny or serious. He and Joy were my favorites. Especially his Dead Man series, and her tale about being robbed and feeling sorry for her mugger. What a weekend! My favorite Fiction/ non fiction was the readings from Allen Woodman and Chloe Alexis and Tiffany and Steve. The Sedona Slam was probably the best because Chris Lane was a RIOT! and it was cool to see a slam that went on for 4 hours nearly, be so good and have such an enthusiastic audience. Kudos Sedona, I will never think of you as new age hokey again. You are COOL! Finally I should Add that the Vegas Slam Team has been decided and Madeline Beckwith, Karen Lumos, Bakeem Lloyd and Andy Kenyon are the team with Hoku and Megan Milligan as alternates. Congratulations Team. Waiting to hear about the NAU College Team results at the College Unions Slam in Cleveland.

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